High-Definition Images Give Golfers Incredible Bird’s-Eye Views

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Nov. 9, 2015)—The City of Denver has contracted with the Sanborn Map Company, Inc. (Sanborn) to collect high-resolution, full-motion video imagery of the city’s seven public golf courses and its Aqua Golf facility.

The city will use the images for marketing, as well as to give golfers a bird’s-eye view of every hole with realistic fly-overs down each fairway from the tee box to the green. Denver’s courses are among the most beautiful in the nation. Its Overland Park course is steeped with history, as it is the oldest operating course west of the Mississippi River.

“We launched our new golf website earlier this year and now we look forward to adding the Sanborn imagery,” says Leslie Wright, Denver Golf director of marketing. “Our course locations range from densely populated urban areas to mountainous terrain with elevations above 7,000 feet. We also had a very tight window in which to perform the work. Considering these diverse challenges, Sanborn has approached the project with a high degree of professionalism and has been great to work with.”

Sanborn employs a commercial-grade unmanned aircraft system (UAS) from Denver-based Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The UAS is capable of producing unprecedented accuracy and resolution, including high-quality, engineering-grade digital terrain models (DTMs) exceeding 2-inch accuracy; multispectral frame imagery at sub-centimeter resolution; and crisp, vibration-free video. Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration granted Sanborn a Section 333 Exemption, which permits the firm to offer commercial UAS services nationwide.

“Sanborn’s UAS technology is a great fit for a host of customers,” affirms Sanchit Agarwal, director of mapping operations. “Among them are police and fire departments, agricultural operations, utilities, oil & gas concerns, emergency response managers, local government, mine operators and the media.”

In addition to media projects like the Denver golf courses, Sanborn’s UAS applications include damage assessment and response efforts, site mapping, water resource mapping, volumetric assessment and asset estimation, highway survey and accident mapping, corridor asset review, assessment and mapping, and precision agriculture.

Click here to view a Sanborn UAS video of the 17th hole at Denver’s Evergreen Golf Course.

About The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.

Sanborn (www.sanborn.com) is a preeminent leader in the exploding geospatial industry, delivering state-of-the-art mapping solutions to customers worldwide. The firm currently operates a fleet of 14 aircraft located strategically across the United States. Embracing cutting-edge technology, Sanborn specializes in oblique aerial imagery, aerial and mobile light detection and ranging (Lidar) mapping, aerial orthophotography, 3-D modeling and visualization software and services, indoor mapping with its proprietary SPIN robot, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) sales, services and image processing, and a host of geospatial software development.

Please contact:
Jason Caldwell
(719) 593-0093
jcaldwell@sanborn.com

To view the original version of this release on PR Newswire, click here.

Oblique Imagery Solution Reduces Costs, Boosts Efficiency

Colorado Springs, Colo. (Oct. 8, 2015)—The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. (Sanborn) offers a complete solution for government appraisers to decidedly streamline the process of property valuation. Using this process, some counties have reported adjusting the values of thousands of properties upward by millions of dollars, adding several hundred thousand dollars to annual tax rolls.

Sanborn provides the nation’s most accurate oblique aerial imagery, available in 2.5-inch, 3-inch, 4-inch and 6-inch resolutions, which enable extremely precise property measurement and assessment. Because the imagery is collected using multiple camera angles during the same flight, not only are the tops of buildings visible, but also the sides, allowing appraisers to discover features that may not be visible in traditional aerial imagery, or even by walking past the property.

Additionally, Sanborn provides automated change-detection tools that eliminate the time and expense of visually searching the data for new or altered features. The tools help speed up the appraisal process by highlighting areas where change has occurred.

“Most appraisers will realize a substantial return on investment with this technology because it significantly reduces the time and effort compared with traditional assessment approaches,” says Jason Caldwell, vice president of marketing and sales. “Sanborn’s solution allows government appraisers to efficiently analyze thousands of properties and assign the appropriate property values.”

Sanborn Data Licensing a Boon to Local Government

Additionally, because Sanborn offers the industry’s most liberal data licensing policies, appraisers can form partnerships to help share the cost of the imagery with other entities. Similar to the appraisal process, county planners can use the data to detect new zoning violations and monitor properties granted special-use status or some other variance from zoning code. Data sharing can include departments within the appraisers’ governments, such as public works, or separate entities within their jurisdictions, such as water or fire districts.

About The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.

Sanborn (www.sanborn.com) is a preeminent leader in the exploding geospatial industry, delivering state-of-the-art mapping solutions to customers worldwide. The firm currently operates a fleet of 14 aircraft located strategically across the United States. Embracing cutting-edge technology, Sanborn specializes in oblique aerial imagery, aerial and mobile light detection and ranging (Lidar) mapping, aerial orthophotography, 3-D modeling and visualization software and services, indoor mapping with its proprietary SPIN robot, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) sales, services and image processing, and a host of geospatial software development.

Please contact:
Jason Caldwell
(719) 593-0093
jcaldwell@sanborn.com

To view the original version of this release on PR Newswire, click here.

The Big Geospatial Data Management Lifecycle as it pertains to a typical Sanborn customer – Part 1.

Over the past few decades, as geospatial data has enabled increased efficiencies in management and operations for both government and private enterprise, there is greater understanding of the value in geospatial data. However, as geospatial data is put to more widespread use, many entities struggle with the acquisition, organization, and storage of Big Geospatial Data.

This blog series will provide an overview for each of the five primary components that make up the Big Geospatial Data Management Lifecycle.

1. Enterprise System Assessment

A successful enterprise geospatial system is based on well-defined user needs, functional requirements, and application specifications. For clients to get the most success out of Big Geospatial Data, they must first understand their current positions and decide on an approach that models the needs and purposes of their business operations. The Enterprise System Assessment is a critical stage in the lifecycle as it provides input for the entire cycle, which includes: data acquisition, data analysis, data distribution, and data maintenance.

As an example, orthophotography /orthoimagery are a key component to most customers’ base mapping needs. A thorough needs assessment prior to purchasing data will assist in determining multiple variables, such as: resolution, accuracy, refresh requirements, and storage requirements. Ensuring these variables are assessed prior to investment is an important aspect of the enterprise system assessment stage.

Existing or legacy client information can also be discovered at the Enterprise System Assessment stage and the information gathered may affect requirements for the Data Acquisition phase of the cycle. For example, conditions such as government-restricted access to a project area may play a role in the data acquisition decision making process. Sanborn recently completed a project where the client would allow only a single flight over the area of interest (AOI) – but the project required a complete aerial Lidar survey, a complete oblique aerial imagery acquisition, and a complete multi-spectral orthoimagery acquistion. Additionally, the client had existing GPS survey points and planimetric mapping data to employ in support of the Data Acquisition stage. The project requirements, existing client data and client restrictions identified through the Enterprise System Assessment led to an acquisition plan specific to this project.

2. Data Acquisition

Data Acquisition can take many forms, including: satellite imagery, aerial photos, digital airborne systems, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), field investigations, and the import of existing databases and existing maps. Processing techniques are used to further refine acquired data into usable geospatial products such as orthomosaics and value-added data such as planimetric feature databases. The acquisition phase of the Big Data Management Lifecycle includes the development of innovative methods for integrating many different data types. Through this model, a project may leverage multiple geospatial information sources with the goal of increasing accuracy and quality.

Sanborn’s Data Acquisition phase of the Big Data Management Lifecycle includes development of mapping products. Toward completion of this stage, final base maps are generated and include, but are not limited to, planimetric maps, Lidar-generated topographical/contour maps, geo-referenced oblique aerial imagery, land use maps, land cover maps, and 3D cities data.

3. Data Analysis

Sanborn designs and implements custom software solutions for geospatial Data Analysis, providing direct value for the client. Typically performed through a combination of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom-developed software applications, all Sanborn software is developed to work seamlessly with industry-standard mapping platforms. For example, Sanborn has developed and implemented an Ecosystem Decision Support System (EcoDSS) designed to incorporate land cover map databases and Aerial Lidar-generated topo data with client-provided land use mapping plans. The EcoDSS identifies areas of concern and potential impacts for prescribed forestry activities and then delivers information for preserving and enhancing bio-diversity while maintaining sustainable forest resources.

EcoDSS satisfies a range of analysis requirements, including: strategic planning, tactical planning, database development and maintenance, forest economics, timberlands investment, timber sales, and operational activity tracking.

4. Data Distribution (Cloud)

With Data Acquisition and Data Analysis complete, deployment of the data is the next step…

As more customers require a single authoritative source for information for staff utilization, clients are less interested in “one-off” databases that will require significant investment for later integration into or migration back to a single database. Cloud Infrastructures are making it much easier to manage the daily workload without having to implement multiple workflow exceptions for individual staff. In addition, Cloud-Based Data Distribution may allow for significant savings for clients through a leasing pricing model versus outright hardware purchase. New cloud-based pricing models also support an OPEX budgeting cycle versus the dreaded CAPEX budgeting cycle.

Cloud Implementation for Big Geospatial Data provides multiple benefits to the customer, including: security, redundancy, scalability, and lower cost. In addition, building geospatial business solutions on Cloud Platforms allows Sanborn to eliminate potential concerns about future scalability and lack of infrastructure for client data.

5. Data Management (Example: Change Detection)

Data Management / Maintenance are critical aspects for ensuring success with Big Geospatial Data Management. The geospatial landscape changes constantly, as a result of human activity and natural forces, impacting ecosystem management, community planning / development, and property revenue assessments. These changes can be monitored through multiple methodologies, including client-provided databases (e.g. zoning permits) – or they can be more efficiently identified through remote sensing technologies. For example, when a mining company needs to determine the volume of aggregate that’s been removed from a location, Sanborn can apply advanced proprietary analysis and processing techniques to aerial imagery in order to locate areas of volumetric change quickly and efficiently. When a data management practice such as this has been developed and implemented, Data Acquisition, Data Analysis, and Data Distribution are completed to create the Big Geospatial Data Management Lifecycle.

Posted at GISCafe – October 5, 2015. Check in over the next several posts to read entries that will go into greater detail regarding each of the primary components associated with the Big Geospatial Data Management Lifecycle.

Jason Caldwell
Vice President, Business Development and Sales

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. (Sanborn) announces the appointment of CEO John Copple to the Stichting Mapcode Foundation (Mapcode) advisory board.

“I’m pleased to assist in this global effort,” says Copple. “The idea of using mapcodes to locate and identify places on Earth is intriguing. Mapcodes can be of particular value for applications such as emergency response in emerging nations, where accurate addressing isn’t always available.” Copple adds that even physical assets, such as individual power poles or fire hydrants, can be assigned a mapcode.

Mapcode is a non-profit foundation in The Netherlands that holds the intellectual property related to mapcodes, which are a free, open way to represent every house or location on Earth with a short code. The codes are designed to be easy to recognize, remember and communicate, and are precise to within a few meters, which in most cases is adequate for everyday use applications.

“The idea of Mapcode came about when we saw that millions of locations around the world do not have a recognizable address and were hard to find,” says Pieter Geelen, Mapcode co-founder. “Introducing a mapcode system means everyone is empowered with the ability to identify any location on Earth, regardless of the country or its infrastructure.”

By offering mapcodes as a standard and structured addressing system free of charge, the foundation aims to make locations for all citizens, dwellings and businesses in regions without street names or formal addressing systems throughout the globe addressable. Currently, two mobile mapcode apps are available for download: Mapcode Mobile for Android and Mapcode for iOS. For more information visit www.mapcode.com.

About The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.
Sanborn (www.sanborn.com) is a preeminent leader in the exploding geospatial industry, delivering state-of-the-art mapping solutions to customers worldwide. The firm currently operates a fleet of 14 aircraft located strategically across the United States. Embracing cutting-edge technology, Sanborn specializes in oblique aerial imagery, aerial and mobile light detection and ranging (Lidar) mapping, aerial orthophotography, 3-D modeling and visualization software and services, indoor mapping with its proprietary SPIN robot, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) sales, services and image processing, and a host of geospatial software development.

Please contact:
Jason Caldwell
(719) 593-0093
jcaldwell@sanborn.com

To view the original version of this release on PR Newswire, click here.

Major City Coverage Expanded, Highly Accurate Building Interior Mapping Available

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. (Sanborn) continues to broaden its massive 3D data collection, including the exciting new option to provide centimeter-accurate 3D modeling of any building interior, from giant warehouses, retail centers and manufacturing facilities to high-rise office buildings.

Sanborn recently updated its 3D coverage for multiple metropolitan areas, including updates to the firm’s proprietary Citysets building attribute data. Citysets is Sanborn’s popular off-the-shelf 3D product comprising highly accurate vector, raster, elevation and building attributes.

Citysets building attributes include detailed information about each structure, such as building address, name, construction class, occupancy type, height, year built, square footage and more. This information, coupled with Sanborn’s high-resolution 3D imagery, provides a wealth of value for a wide range of professionals, including real estate developers, urban planners, architectural and engineering firms and emergency operations, to name a few.

Additionally, Sanborn now offers the capability to create highly accurate 3D models of the interior of any building with the Sanborn Platform for Indoor Mapping (SPIN) fully autonomous indoor mapping robot. SPIN utilizes a pair of light detection and ranging (Lidar) sensors to capture data at better than 3-centimeter accuracy, which can be used to create life-like models of any interior, large or small. The robot is fully autonomous, navigating on its own and avoiding obstacles—including humans—while collecting more than 43,000 precision measurements per second.

“Our customers are amazed at how quickly and efficiently SPIN performs its work,” says Dr. Sharad Oberoi, Director of IT and Software Engineering. Oberoi headed the research and development team that created SPIN. “From the data, we can create highly detailed, measurable 3D models of the building interior that can be viewed from virtually any angle. Combined with our exterior 3D building data, Sanborn’s complete offering—literally inside and out—is unparalleled in the industry.”

Sanborn’s collection of high-resolution 3D visualization data now covers the core downtown areas of more than 110 major U.S. and international cities.

Please contact:
Jason Caldwell
(719) 593-0093
jcaldwell@sanborn.com

To view the original version of this release on PR Newswire, click here.

http://www10.giscafe.com/video/Sanborn-John-Copple-CEO/45100/media.html

High-Resolution Oblique and Six-Inch Orthophotos Satisfy a Host of Geospatial Demands

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Sanborn Map Company (Sanborn) continues to grow its world-class product offerings with the addition of more than 41,000 square miles of fresh oblique imagery covering 150 U.S. metropolitan markets. Additionally, Sanborn now offers 6-inch resolution orthophotography covering the entire continental United States in both natural color and infrared products. Sanborn’s latest offerings demonstrate the firm’s commitment to bolstering its position as the premier U.S. provider of superior-quality, high-resolution aerial imagery products and services.

“As an industry-leading provider of geospatial products and applications, our ongoing commitment is to serve our customers with the nation’s best products and services,” says Jason Caldwell, Sanborn VP of business development and sales. “Sanborn’s oblique and ortho selections are current and accurate, and our uniquely liberal data licensing policy and rapid delivery, including cloud hosting, offer a terrific value proposition for our customers.”

Sanborn’s off-the-shelf oblique and orthophotography is suitable for a wide range of applications. Some of the most common uses include:

1. As a base map to adjust and enhance the accuracy of parcel information and other data layers.
2. As a source from which to extract building outlines, transportation and utility features, and other data to create or update planimetric features databases.
3. As a tool to aid in the planning, design and execution of public infrastructure projects and residential development.
4. To create efficient routes for E911/first responders and aid other public safety planning.
5. To perform more accurate tax assessment.
6. As a contextual background over which other data can be layered to create accurate and highly effective presentations and reports.
7. As a source for automatic change detection and reporting.
8. All Sanborn off-the-shelf imagery data is stored in the cloud and served to the firm’s customers via a web service interface. Oblique imagery samples at various resolutions can be viewed here. Learn more about Sanborn orthophotography here.

Please contact:
Jason Caldwell
(719) 593-0093
jcaldwell@sanborn.com

To view the original version of this release on PR Newswire, click here.